Laken Riley Was Murdered By An Illegal Immigrant—Where's The Outrage?

Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, was brutally murdered while jogging on a trail at the University of Georgia campus. 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant with a documented criminal history, has been found guilty of murder. Yet, despite the shocking nature of Riley’s death, there has been little national outcry. 

The response to Riley’s death is concerning, especially when compared to the nationwide reaction to cases like Daniel Penny and Jordan Neely. Penny, a Marine who acted to protect subway passengers from a threatening individual, faced a storm of public and legal scrutiny. Protesters rallied outside of the court, headlines painted him as a “racist murderer.” Riley – a young college student who went for a run – was covered by the news, but the fact that her murderer was an illegal immigrant was downplayed, unlike cases like Penny or Floyd, where race became the focus.

Ibarra entered the U.S. illegally through El Paso, Texas, in 2022. Since then, his record has included child endangerment charges, shoplifting offenses, and skipping a court appearance in Georgia. In 2023, ICE arrested him in New York but released him before deportation proceedings could be completed. There were repeated opportunities to enforce the law and prevent this tragedy, yet none were taken.

The media have downplayed Riley's death because she's white. For example, in the case of Penny, he intervened during an alarming situation on a New York subway and subdued a homeless Black man with a history of violent behavior. That incident led to widespread protests, extensive media coverage, and Penny being charged with manslaughter. Why is it that the media seems far more invested in turning criminals into martyrs than in seeking justice for innocent victims like Riley? We’ve seen endless coverage of cases involving individuals like Floyd with extensive criminal records, some of whom were high on drugs or had histories of violence – like robbing a pregnant woman at gunpoint. The media defended them. Riley was innocent, yet the circumstances of her death are treated as an afterthought. The media rush to amplify stories that fit a narrative while ignoring the senseless loss of law-abiding citizens like Riley. Why do they treat criminals this way and push for illegal immigration while downplaying the dangers posed by violent men who cross our borders, ultimately putting women in harm’s way? How many more women have to get abducted, raped, or killed until that changes?

While I do agree that we all need to do a better job of mobilizing, we can’t ignore the fact that the media fuels most protests. Black Lives Matter wasn’t just driven by grassroots energy; Hollywood, social media influencers, and celebrities were involved, with round-the-clock coverage on every major network playing a significant role as well. The media spotlighted these causes and rallied millions to join in. However, in the case of Laken Riley,  the media has failed to create the same uproar. No celebrity posts, no hashtags flooding timelines, and certainly no coordinated media effort to demand justice. 

For years, Europe has grappled with rising crime linked to mass migration, and America appears to be following a similar path. Open borders policies, championed by Democrats, may appear compassionate on the surface, but they have real, dangerous consequences for everyday citizens.

The strategy is clear: flood the country with millions of illegal immigrants, provide them with taxpayer-funded resources, and protect them from deportation – even when they commit crimes. Sanctuary city policies, which shield undocumented individuals from law enforcement, create environments where laws are selectively enforced. Riley’s death exposes the human cost of these policies. A young woman’s life was cut short because a man who should not have been in the country was repeatedly allowed to slip through the cracks of the system.

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